002 ♛ video

[euphemia]

[ The feed begins with a young girl with pink hair who appears to seated in a room of some sort. Doesn’t seem like any room, but yes. After a moment, she smiles once she realizes the video began. ]

Hello everyone.

I hope that for those of you who just arrived you're settling in and adapting to things comfortably enough. I hope the experience thus far has not been too traumatizing in any way. I know it's a lot to take in, but I assure you that for those of us here before, we're just as baffled as you are about ... well, everything.

[ There is a pause as she looks off, contemplative and worried. After a moment, her attention falls back to the camera. ]

What I've come to learn recently is that we all seem to be in this together. As in—ah. As in literally. [ Pause. How to talk about this? ] I haven't had a lot of time to think about it but, uhm. Does anyone else recall experiencing some kind of fight with an army of creatures that looked like ... [ her voice lowers as she looks off. ] people I recognized.

[ Frowning. Concerned. Deeply. Seeing that person in that memory was jarring. Yet within moments, she lifts her head to continue. ]

I haven't found any answers to explain what happened. Not yet. However, I figured I should ask here and see if anyone had any similar experiences? Maybe talk a bit about it to understand? It was the only thing I vividly remember [ —there was another, but. ] and I feel there was a reason behind seeing it. I'm not even sure if it was even real?

[ Brows furrowed and eyes downward, she takes a moment to collect her thoughts before lifting her head again with a smile renewed. Positive time! ]

Ah! Forgive me! I didn't introduce myself. For those of you new, my name is Euphemia! I'm a White Mage and Nurse at the Yun'Ashia hospital. I'm also going to be starting school very soon there, too. It’s been a goal of mine to go back and finish my studies! Being a student and getting to go to classes again—I’m excited! Is there anyone else going to school? Maybe we can be study friends! Perhaps we can be study buddies? I will admit that I sometimes need a little help here and there, so please, let me know if you're interested!

As for the rest of you, if you need me for any reason, just reach. Or visit the hospital! Or call! I can do either of those things. I'm here to help.

[ Her expression turns a bit soft as she stares intensely at the camera. Solemn. A pause. ]

I hope everyone stays well. And ... take care of yourself, okay? Wherever you are.

[ A smile, albeit lacking the same mirth as her earlier one. With that, the video feed ends. ]

Comments

[arosetowar]

[c l e a r l y]

It's not just the battle that's on your mind, is it?

[euphemia]

...

No...

[arosetowar]

I ask again, Euphy: are you certain this is something you want to discuss?

[euphemia]

Yes. I want to discuss it, Sister.

[arosetowar]

Then what is on your mind?

[euphemia]

...

I saw one of Lelouch's memories.

[arosetowar]

[Definitely sounds a bit surprised here. Concerned still, absolutely, but not exclusively.]

Which memory?

[euphemia]

I ... I don't know. [ She definitely doesn't remember anything about i. Hasn't approached him on it. Meant to, but. Well. ]

... he called himself Julius Kingsley.

[arosetowar]

[Basically this face.]

... Julius Kingsley?

[euphemia]

[ Tries to straighten up and be a little more firm. No sense in backing down now. ]

He was speaking to another man about strategy while playing chess. Suzaku... [ A slight look of pain. ] Suzaku was with him.

Then said he would lay his life on the line for the ... Emperor.

[arosetowar]

Lelouch did?

[Fucker would lay the Emperor's life on the line for a cheese pizza for CC. Something is Amiss.]

How was Kururugi dressed?

[euphemia]

[ A pause. How was he dressed? Well ... now that she thought about it. ]

Differently... than I remember him. Not Zero, but ah...

[arosetowar]

Was he wearing a Knight of the Round uniform?

[euphemia]

[ Was he? She ha to revisit that memory again, doesn't she? Well. Memory powers activate, I GUESS. ]

Ah.

[ Now that she thought about it? ]

... Yes.

[arosetowar]

[I kept his secret for another year, even though I hated him so much for what he did to Euphy that I couldn't breathe.]

[Kept his secret. Was complicit in what could only be the use of Geass against Lelouch. Handed him over to the Emperor, not to be punished but to be used? As a strategist? But then ultimately returned to Japan, ultimately free to become Zero once again. This is Euphy's knight? Frowny McFrowner frowns, news at eleven.]

I apologise for derailing the conversation. Please tell me more about the memory.

[euphemia]

[ Sister is frowning. That's never good. She's concerned but she realizes that avoiding this subject is probably not even allowed now. So back to reflecting on that memory. What happend? ]

After he said those words, Lelouch ... he, ah. He got angry. He knocked over the chess pieces and began to hold his head as if he was in pain. [ Frowning. ] I wanted to help him! But, I don't know if he saw me. He just yelled for "Julius" to get out of his head.

[ And then? ]

Suzaku, he ... was calm throughout and tried to get the other man to leave. I don't know? Yet, he began to mock him about his father and Area 11, but then. Uhm. Well, I ...

[ Concern. Why did that part ... fade off? ]

... I don't remember what happened afterward.

[arosetowar]

[Then it was Geass. Their father's Geass? Kururugi's? She almost says something but Euphy has been bombarded with enough of the darkness which followed her demise. She doesn't need to have to deal with that accursed power as well.]

What's the first thing you do remember?

PRIVATE & Others before it.

[euphemia]

[ Because it wasn't mentioned earlier, THIS THREAD AND ALL OTHERS BEFORE IT WAS PRIVATE! JUST in case. ]

First thing I remember? Oh, well... ah. I going back on the airship? And much later, my friends being ... concerned about me. Worried over what they saw too, I think.

[arosetowar]

Did they tell you what they saw?

[Cornelia has heard much of the truth from Adrien, but she wants to let Euphy reveal what she's comfortable with on her own time, so she asks rather than states.]

[euphemia]

No? Just worried. I know Lelouch was equally worried, I believe. But I was more worried about him!

[arosetowar]

[A longer-than-usual pause. An expression pulled deeper downwards towards a more melancholic concern. She stares into her iMog's screen as if expecting the answer of what to do next will appear superimposed over Euphy's face. Eventually:]

There's something I need to discuss with you regarding Lelouch.

[euphemia]

[ Her expression shifts to concern, then worry. The name Lelouch evokes so many emotions, yet the first expression is pain. ]

Is he all right?

[arosetowar]

He's fine.

[Clipped, blunted. She means he's uninjured. She means he's in no danger. She means nothing more than that.]

Remain at the hotel. I'll be there shortly.

[euphemia]

Oh.

[ Well. That couldn't bode well. But rather than argue a nod is given as she does precisely as stated and waits at the hotel. ]

Action

[arosetowar]

[She'd started making her way back to the hotel fairly early into the conversation, so shortly barely amounts to a few minutes. As she moves into the room she gives Euphy a halved smile before gesturing to the dinette set.]

Please, sit down.